Lewiston, Maine Housing Market 2026: What Sellers Should Know

The Lewiston Maine housing market 2026 story is flat prices and a pile of new listings. Androscoggin County's median sales price sat at $360,000 this summer, the same as a year ago. Meanwhile, the number of houses for sale in Lewiston-Auburn nearly doubled.

This guide keeps each data source in its own lane. The Maine Association of Realtors, Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com measure different things, so none of their figures are averaged or combined below.

What is the Lewiston Maine housing market doing in 2026?

The Lewiston Maine housing market is flat in 2026: county prices have stopped rising, sales are down, and buyers have more houses to choose from.

Maine Association of Realtors (closed MLS sales, Androscoggin County). The association reports existing single-family sales by county, not by city. For the rolling quarter of June through August 2026, Androscoggin County's median sales price was $360,000, exactly where it stood a year earlier (Maine Association of Realtors, August 2026). Units sold fell 7.14%, from 308 to 286.

Neighboring counties kept climbing over the same quarter. Kennebec County's median rose 10.36% to $365,000, and Oxford County's rose 4.62% to $342,500. The statewide median rose 2.75% to $429,000 (Maine Association of Realtors, August 2026).

“As additional for-sale inventory comes onto the market, buyers have more opportunities and leverage to negotiate,” said Judy Oberg, the association's president, in the same release.

Redfin (its own count, older data). Redfin reported a median sale price of $360,000 for the city of Lewiston in May 2026, up 10.8%, on just 25 sales (Redfin Data Center, May 2026). A sample that small swings from month to month, and Redfin's public file ends in May.

Financed buyers are also paying more to borrow. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.95% for the week of September 17, 2026, up from 6.26% a year earlier (Freddie Mac PMMS, September 2026).

Who buys in Lewiston

Lewiston is Maine's second-largest city, with 38,866 residents on July 1, 2025 (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025). Price is its pull: Zillow's typical Lewiston value is about $261,000 below Portland's $559,175 (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026).

Two hospitals anchor local jobs. Central Maine Medical Center describes itself as a 250-bed, not-for-profit hospital (Central Maine Healthcare, September 2026). St. Mary's Health System runs a 220-bed acute care community hospital (St. Mary's Health System, September 2026). Bates College keeps rental demand steady on the streets around campus.

Lewiston Maine home prices by ZIP and town

Lewiston Maine home prices sit below every nearby measure in Zillow's file: the city's typical value is $298,174, against $326,716 in Auburn and $329,811 for Androscoggin County (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026). The table below is Zillow only. Zillow's file has one ZIP for each city, 04240 for Lewiston and 04210 for Auburn.

The two cities are gaining more slowly than several nearby towns, such as Sabattus at 4.4%. Sabattus Street is in Lewiston, but the town of Sabattus is not, so check which municipality a house sits in.

The long climb, then a plateau

Zillow's typical Lewiston value was $119,909 in August 2016 and $212,060 in August 2021. It peaked at $300,299 in March 2026 and has slipped a little every month since (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026).

Zillow's index estimates a typical value, not a sale price, so do not compare it directly with the Realtors' county median.

More listings and more price cuts in Lewiston-Auburn

Lewiston-Auburn buyers have far more houses to choose from in 2026: active listings rose 72.37% in a year, to 262 in August (Realtor.com via FRED, August 2026). That is the highest count since October 2019 in the series. New listings rose to 140 from 120, and the median listing price slipped 1.17% to $375,000.

About half of the active listings, 136 of 262, carried a price cut in August, up from 104. Pending listings held at 46, against 48 a year earlier. More houses are chasing roughly the same number of buyers.

More choice lets buyers be picky. A move-in-ready ranch in Montello may still sell quickly, while a tenant-occupied three-family near Kennedy Park with an oil boiler competes for fewer financed buyers.

Old buildings: lead paint, oil heat, and rental registration

Much of Lewiston's housing is old, rented, and multifamily, which brings rules a newer house rarely faces.

About 31.6% of Lewiston's housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, against 22.9% statewide (Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates). Auburn's share is higher still, at 38.1%. Renters occupy 48.8% of Lewiston's occupied units, and 52.6% of them heat with fuel oil or kerosene. About half of all units sit in buildings with two or more units.

Lead paint: the history

Lead poisoning has been a Lewiston issue for decades. Maine CDC's 2025 report says the City of Lewiston has received the highest amount of lead abatement funding historically (Maine CDC, January 2025). It names the Tree Streets, with more than 1,400 pre-1950 housing units, as an area with a higher density of children identified with lead poisoning than other parts of the city.

The same report says two-thirds of the units abated in the City's grant cycle that ended in 2024 had no state order to abate. It also notes a new HUD award of $7,750,000 to abate 300 Lewiston units over four years.

What lead law means for a seller

• Open orders pass to the buyer. When Maine CDC finds a lead hazard, it orders the lead-based substances removed, replaced, or securely covered within 30 days (22 M.R.S. §1321). An owner who sells first must tell the buyer, and the new owner takes over the order.
• Orders are on the record. The order is filed at the registry of deeds, so a buyer's title search will find it.
• Maintenance rules. Owners of pre-1978 rentals may use the essential maintenance practices in Maine DEP's chapter 424 rules (22 M.R.S. §1327; Maine DEP, September 2026).
• Repair notices. Before repair work in a pre-1978 building with rented units, a landlord must post a sign and send certified mail to every unit 30 days ahead (14 M.R.S. §6030-B).
• Disclosure at sale. Maine's seller disclosure covers lead-based paint in pre-1978 houses (33 M.R.S. §173). Federal rules give the buyer 10 days to test unless both sides agree otherwise in writing (40 CFR 745.110).

Rental registration ends at sale

Lewiston requires owners of buildings with three or more units to register them with the City each year before March 1, at no cost (City of Lewiston, September 2026). The rule applies even if the owner lives there, but duplexes and rented single-family houses are exempt.

A registration is voided when the building sells, and the buyer must register within 60 days (Lewiston Code Sec. 23-203 and 23-204). Late fines start at $50 for the first month and reach $200 a month after six months.

Our guide to selling an old Maine house as-is covers oil tanks, wiring, and insurance in more depth.

Can you sell a Lewiston rental with tenants in place?

Yes: a Lewiston rental can sell with tenants in place, because tenancies carry over to the buyer and Maine's notice rules keep running after the sale.

• Ending a tenancy takes notice. A tenancy at will ends only on at least 30 days' written notice, and the notice must tell the tenant of the right to contest it in court (14 M.R.S. §6002). A 7-day notice needs a listed cause, such as rent 7 or more days behind.
• Rent increases take notice too. A landlord must give at least 45 days' written notice, or 75 days for increases totaling 10% or more within 12 months (14 M.R.S. §6015). A buyer who plans to raise rents inherits those timelines.
• Deposits move at closing. The seller must give the buyer an accounting of each security deposit and transfer the funds no later than the closing (14 M.R.S. §6035). Tenants get notice of the transfer by mail.

Propcash buys houses with tenants in place, so no eviction is needed before you sell.

How the $34.15 mill rate and the 2027 revaluation affect a sale

Lewiston's tax rate for fiscal year 2027 (2026-2027) is $34.15 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $32.78, and those bills still use the old assessments (City of Lewiston Assessor, September 2026).

The City's first citywide revaluation since 1988 is complete. The Assessor says the new values will be implemented for the 2027 tax year, which is fiscal year 2028. Maine Revenue Services had found Lewiston's assessments too low compared with current sales (City of Lewiston, April 2026). Proposed values reflect market value as of April 1, 2026.

City officials told WGME the new assessments raised residential values by about 180% and commercial values by about 150% (WGME, May 2026). A higher assessment does not mean a bill rises by the same share. The City has said the revaluation does not increase the total amount it collects (City of Lewiston, March 2026). What changes is the split, and WGME reported the new values would push more of the load onto houses.

What it means for a seller in 2026

A buyer this fall is estimating a 2027 bill that no one can quote yet, because the new rate has not been set. Some buyers price that uncertainty into their offer.

If a bill goes unpaid, the tax lien can foreclose automatically 18 months after the lien certificate is recorded (36 M.R.S. §943). Our guide to Maine tax lien foreclosure walks through that clock.

What does it cost to sell a house in Lewiston?

Selling a Lewiston house costs half of Maine's real estate transfer tax, plus payoffs, a share of the year's taxes, and, on a listed sale, commission and repairs.

Maine's transfer tax is $2.20 for each $500 of value, imposed half on the seller and half on the buyer (36 M.R.S. §4641-A). On an illustrative $300,000 sale, the tax is $1,320, and the seller's half is $660.

No Maine statute requires an attorney or a title company to run a closing. In practice, a closing attorney or title company prepares the deed, pays off liens from the proceeds, and records the sale. Typical seller costs include:

• Mortgage and any tax lien payoffs
• A share of the year's municipal taxes and the seller's half of the transfer tax
• Agent commission, if the house is listed
• Repairs a buyer's inspection or lender asks for
• Utilities, insurance, heating fuel, and taxes while the house waits for a buyer

Heirs work through the Androscoggin County Probate Court in Auburn, the county seat, not in Lewiston. The personal representative (Maine's term for an executor) must give heirs 10 days' notice before selling estate real estate, unless the will says otherwise (18-C M.R.S. §3-711).

Listing or a cash offer: how long will a Lewiston sale take?

A move-in-ready Lewiston house can still sell on the market in about a month, but an older multifamily or a house with lead or heating questions may sit longer and draw fewer financed buyers.

Realtor.com's median of 36 days on market starts only after repairs and photos are done (Realtor.com via FRED, August 2026). After an accepted offer, a financed buyer still needs an appraisal, an inspection, and loan approval.

Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer that makes offers as a principal. We make one transparent, data-backed cash offer on the house as it stands and show how we got to the number. There is no fee and no obligation, you pick the closing date, and the offer stands while you compare it.

If your house is move-in ready and you have time, listing may net you more, and we will say so. We can point you to a local agent, and we may receive compensation from agents we refer.

If speed or condition matters more, you can sell your house fast in Lewiston without repairs or showings. You can also get a cash offer on your Lewiston house in about two minutes. For statewide context, see our Maine overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median home price in Lewiston, Maine in 2026?

The Maine Association of Realtors reports county figures, not city figures. Androscoggin County's median sales price was $360,000 for June to August 2026, unchanged from a year earlier. Separately, Zillow put the typical value in the city of Lewiston at $298,174 in August 2026, up 1.2%. The two sources measure different things, so read them side by side rather than averaging them.

Are house prices falling in Lewiston?

Lewiston prices are flat rather than falling. Zillow's typical Lewiston value is still 1.2% higher than a year ago, but it has slipped every month since peaking at $300,299 in March 2026. Androscoggin County's MLS median held at $360,000 for June to August 2026 while sales fell 7.14%, according to the Maine Association of Realtors.

How long does it take to sell a house in Lewiston right now?

Lewiston-Auburn listings spent a median of 36 days on the market in August 2026, according to Realtor.com data published on FRED. That figure leaves out prep time before listing and the weeks a buyer's lender needs to close. A direct cash sale skips the lender and can close in as few as 7 days.

Does Lewiston's revaluation affect a house sold in 2026?

Tax bills for fiscal year 2027 still use the old assessments at a rate of $34.15 per $1,000. The City's Assessor says the new values from its first citywide revaluation since 1988 apply from the 2027 tax year. Buyers in 2026 have to estimate a future bill that has not been set, which some factor into what they offer.

Do tenants have to move out before a Lewiston multifamily sells?

No. Tenancies carry over to the buyer, and Maine requires at least 30 days' written notice to end a tenancy at will. The seller must account for and transfer each security deposit to the buyer no later than the closing. Propcash buys houses with tenants in place, so no eviction is needed before you sell.

Can you sell a Lewiston house with lead paint or an open lead order?

Yes. Maine law requires an owner who sells during an open lead order to tell the buyer, and the new owner takes over the duty to fix the hazard. The order is filed at the registry of deeds, so a title search will find it. Federal rules also require the seller of a pre-1978 house to share known lead information before the buyer is bound.